Love's Philosophy Imagery

Love's Philosophy Imagery

Natural imagery

This poem is full of natural imagery, including mountains, the ocean, rivers, the sun, and moonbeams. Shelley's descriptions are rich and beautiful, which is intentional as his speaker is trying to attract a romantic partner through this poem.

One example is how the "sunlight clasps the earth," which personifies the sun and the earth as having a companionship. He then inverts this image and says how the "moonbeams kiss the sea." This is a romantic image that describes the moon shining on the sea at night. Shelley also describes the mountains as kissing heaven, which emphasizes their height, and also references how the waves "clasp one another."

Religious imagery

There are various uses of religious imagery in this poem. First, Shelley writes that "The winds of Heaven mix for ever/ with a sweet emotion," which suggests that Heaven is part of the natural world. The "winds of heaven" are described in a positive way here, which suggests that Shelley is embracing religion in this poem.

In an allusion to the biblical story of Noah's Ark, Shelley says that everything in nature is paired: "All things by a law divine/ In one spirit meet and mingle." Here he suggests that there is a divine law that has complete control over the natural world. This idea of the connection between nature and religion is a key discussion in Romantic literature.

Imagery of love

Love's Philosophy is a love poem, written with the intention of securing a woman's affections. Shelley suggests that everything in nature has a companion, apart from himself. He therefore says to his subject that they should be companions, as it is only natural.

As such, this poem is full of the imagery of romance and love. This includes how the mountains "kiss" the heavens and how the waves "clasp one another." He therefore personifies aspects of the natural world, to suggest that romance is natural.

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